The Conversation - 'Decolonizing' conservation

Polarization, brain rot and brat – the 2024 words of the year point to the power, perils and ephemeral nature of digital life

Roger J. Kreuz, University of Memphis

The winners offer a window into the spirit of the times.

Stadiums don’t have to be a drain on taxpayer dollars − 4 lessons from St. Louis

Peter Boumgarden, Washington University in St. Louis; Nathan Jensen, The University of Texas at Austin

The newest stadium in St. Louis is a case study in ‘patient capital.’

Pearl Young, the first woman to work in a technical role at NASA, overcame barriers and ‘raised hell’ − her legacy continues today

Caitlin Milera, University of North Dakota

Many of her male colleagues believed Pearl Young had an attitude problem based on her efforts to advocate for herself and her team.

When AI goes shopping: AI agents promise to lighten your purchasing load − if they can earn your trust

Tamilla Triantoro, Quinnipiac University

AI shopping agents are coming. They could hunt for deals, find the right items and even make purchases – if you trust them to ‘get’ you, protect your privacy and not coax you into buying too much.

Links between gender stereotypes and American patriotism date from the Cold War − but weren’t true then either

Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy, Miami University

Traditional ideals of gender roles hark back to a time of extreme American nationalist sentiment in the face of a significant international threat.

I’m a scholar of white supremacy who’s visiting all 113 places where Confederate statues were removed in recent years − here’s why Richmond gets it right

David Cunningham, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

Protesters toppled and damaged a statue of Jefferson Davis in Richmond, Virginia, in 2020. It is now displayed at a museum just as they left it: prone and paint-splattered, with a toilet-paper noose.

Hypnosis is not just a parlor trick or TV act − science shows it helps with anxiety, depression, pain, PTSD and sleep disorders

David Acunzo, University of Virginia

Hypnosis is safe and can work as both a stand-alone or a complementary treatment with other therapies.

Abu Mohammed al-Golani may become the face of post-Assad Syria – but who is he and why does he have $10M US bounty on his head?

Sara Harmouch, American University

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, with origins in the terrorist group Nusra Front, spearheaded the rebel advance that ousted longtime Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Greenland is getting greener – helped by a mining company and a group of tree enthusiasts

Adriana Craciun, Boston University

Greening sounds good compared to deforestation, but in the Arctic, the expansion of plant life amplifies dangerous feedback loops and could harm the carbon-storing permafrost.

What is the universe expanding into if it’s already infinite?

Extraterrestrial life may look nothing like life on Earth − so astrobiologists are coming up with a framework to study how complex systems evolve

Assad leaves behind a fragmented nation – stabilizing Syria will be a major challenge for fractured opposition and external backers